Huge ovation at Cannes for “The Beloved,” filmed entirely in Fuerte

The film El ser querido, directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and starring Javier Bardem and Victoria Luengo, became the first of three Spanish entries competing for the Palme d’Or. Its official screening at the Grand Théâtre Lumière was met with a standing ovation lasting up to seven minutes, coinciding with its French theatrical release. The movie will reach Spanish cinemas on 26 August.

Filmed almost entirely on the island of Fuerteventura, the picture is now a contender for the festival’s highest prize, the Palme d’Or, at Cannes—one of cinema’s most revered venues. The island’s Majoro landscapes have become a striking visual reference for festival audiences and are poised to captivate viewers worldwide.

“It is a completely different film,” said director Rodrigo Sorogoyen, referring to the story’s thematic departure from last year’s Cannes winner Valor sentimental, which also went on to win the Oscar for Best International Feature.

El ser querido follows a fraught father‑daughter relationship: Bardem plays a celebrated film director who has not seen his daughter for years, while Luengo portrays his struggling actress daughter. The narrative explores the emotional complexities of reconnection after long absence, offering a fresh perspective on familial bonds in the cinematic world.